Year in Review: Top Ten Albums of 2007, 6-10

All in all, 2007 has been a pretty great year for music. While this time last year I was struggling to scrape enough albums together just to fill out a top ten list, this year found me struggling to decide which albums would make the cut and which would end up as eventual honorable mentions.

Laid out below are five albums from this year that, for one reason or another, rose above the rest; the bottom half of the most outstanding ten releases of the year. As with ListenIn's review of the most disappointing records of the past 12 months we are giving you two points of view, this time with a twist. Not only has ScooterDman formed his own list; he has also responded (in green) to each of my picks below in five words. Collaboration sounds almost as sweet as the five records that follow.

10. Band of Horses – Cease to Begin

This album runs the gamut from huge and expansive rock on first track "Is There a Ghost" to the slow, country-inspired "Window Blues." The songwriting and vocals are vaguely reminiscent of indie-powerhouse the Shins, yet the group infuses these similar elements to build a separate whole as opposed to a derivative sliver. Third song "No One's Gonna Love You" is by itself enough to merit a place on this list.

Not as compelling as "Everything..."

9. The Forms - The Forms

These guys probably make a small offering to their shrine to Sunny Day Real Estate everyday before going to sleep. Their music, however, displays enough characteristics of today's indie scene (steadier, more straightforward rhythms, lighter, less prominent guitars) that it manages to sound fresh. On this record they manage to create a heavy, thick ambiance that sets a perfect backdrop for Alex Tween's desperate vocal and it is some of the most emotive music I've heard this year. From the sweet, melodic "Bones", through the steady, dissonant, "Blue Whale" to the light, quick and over-too-soon "Oberlin" the band shifts through many forms (pun intended) but stays true to a gritty, wholly evocative aesthetic.

If only it were longer.

8. Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha

I'll admit I was late to the Andrew Bird party. I'd been hearing about him for a couple of years but never really explored any of his work since I'm generally allergic to hype. In the case of Mr. Bird and his recent release, however, the hype was absolutely correct. This album is 11 heartfelt songs with highly textured arrangements belying a simple, straightforward execution. Each successive song is made more amazing by the realization that Bird does this all by himself, and through the magic of a looping pedal can actually pull it off live. At first listen the record is a pleasant combination of easy-to-listen-to tracks but each repeat play, much like the artist himself when playing in person, adds something extra until it ultimately becomes a fantastically textured, beautifully lush piece of art.

Sings about Lou Dobbs. Cool.

7. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

This album is showing up almost universally on Best of 2007 lists and with good reason. James Murphy's record of electronic dance music is far more than a collection of tunes to groove to: it's a fully textured album both lyrically and musically complex. The tracks are varied, fully developed songs and while they are all party-friendly to a degree – "Get Innocuous" and "Watch the Tapes" – they were not written merely to party. "Someone Great" is heavily loaded and thoughtful as it describes what it's like finding out a close friend has died and "All My Friends" is a slowly building, anthemic tribute to all the highs and lows that come with living. A complete album in every sense of the word.

Who's cooler than James Murphy?

6. The Narrator - All That to the Wall

In the last two weeks no album has been on heavier rotation on my iPod than this one. All That to the Wall is fuzzy, grimy indie-rock circa 1997 complete with hoarse, ragged vocals, bare guitars, and what sounds like a $5 production budget. It's urgent and driving and visceral at all the right times in all the right proportions and possesses an incredibly engaging, youthful charm. The Narrator manage to bring to the front everything that was loved about mid-90s indie and mid- to late-90s punk while still sounding relevant and current.

Step-child of 90s influences.

Next week ScooterDMan and I will reveal our selections for the best five records of 2007. Stick with us at ListenIn to find out what we picked.

© Eric Atienza 2007 for ListenIn. Some rights reserved.

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	2007 Year-End Gamevine Review Round-Up	Russ R.	Sun Dec 9	10
	The bottom half of the Top Ten albums of 2007	ScooterDMan	Fri Dec 7	3
	Top 5 of Albums of 2007: #4 The Narrator — 'All That To The Wall'	ScooterDMan	Tue Dec 11	3
	Meanwhile, in the Netherlands - December 10th 2007	Trevor Fitzright	Mon Dec 10	3
	Year in Review: Top Albums of 2007, Number 5	Eric Atienza	Mon Dec 10	4